Choral Seas Press

The Time of Your Fife

WHY THE FIFE?﻿

The fife is a great alternative to the recorder, which becomes a bit boring to students by grade 5 or 6. Quality fifes are available from Yamaha through your local music store for a comparable, and often smaller, price to recorders. As the instrument is side-blown like a flute, it requires the development of embouchure. Having to work to get the sound inspires the students to put in the necessary practice time, and helps them to value the sounds they are able to produce. The fife sounds like a musical instrument, not a toy whistle, and allows for a greater range of musical expression. Many of the skills learned in recorder classes are transferable to the fife, and students love the challenge of this new instrument.﻿